Manage and Sell Tickets to Your Next Event with the Events Plugin for WordPress

For years, creating and managing live events was the work of a few savvy party planners; people who could make your event a very personal experience, yet also one that appealed to enough to achieve the intended goal – to create buzz, raise money or awareness, or just to have an old-fashioned blow out. There are so many details that go into planning an event few developers have successfully integrated that functionality with our online world. That is, until WPMUDEV brought us the Events+ plugin.

Events+ is Powerful Event and Booking System

Events+ gives you the ability to create and manage events right on your WordPress powered website. It works with both standard installations of WordPress and Multisite; and packs some powerful features including:

Turn individual posts into Event detail pages

Integrate Google Maps directions and GPS Navigation for your guests

Calendar that slides to reveal event details on specific dates

Ability to publish your attendee list (ala “Evite.com”)

Widgets to show upcoming events, RSVP guests, event the most popular events in a list style format

The picture below shows a full published event, which looks great right out of the box, with no special CSS styling. The stock event templates provided by Events+ give your event a custom look and feel with the included event header which allows viewers to RSVP “No”, “Maybe”, or “I’m Attending” , right from the post. There’s no need to link them off to a third-party site.

Make Events Go Viral with Social Media Integration

The plugin is also very well-integrated with social media. Guests can RSVP for the event using a Facebook or Twitter account, and then share the event in status updates and on wall posts. Social avatars can also be shown in the guest list made public on your event page, giving the appearance of a virtual wall of attendees.

As you can see in the picture below, the plugin inserts a graphical header into your event post which includes a breadcrumb linking to the main event page for your blog. Also included in the header are the graphical avatar RSVP list, and the ability for viewers to mark whether they are attending the event or not with a simple click of a button.

The event header also includes a calendar snapshot of the event date and time, in addition to the address for the event, which can be linked to a google map to provide directions for your attendees. If the event was listed as a paid event, the amount per ticket will appear in the event header next to a coin symbol.

You can also configure the plugin settings such that every event you post is automatically shared through your social media channels – a great way to let your tribe know about upcoming events.

What’s that, you want more? How about the ability to monetize your events?

Events+ integrates with PayPal, allowing you to sell tickets to the event or collect donations for your nonprofit organization, and you can keep track of sales and registrations right from the comfort of your WordPress dashboard.

Advanced Scheduling in Events+ WordPress Plugin

Events+ features an advanced scheduling engine which allows you to create recurring events, which is a great option for clubs and organizations that hold regular meetings. In this way, the plugin turns your website into a virtual home-base for the organization, and a central location for attendees to get vital information on upcoming meetings.

If your club isn’t open to the public, or if you like to restrict your events to a very special guest list, Events+ allows you to hold limited capacity events which automatically close out registration when the attendee limit has been reached. There’s no better way to drum up interest in an event than to sell it out quickly!

Events+ also integrates with the WPMUDEV Membership plugin and extends some great functionality. For example, you can can charge a fee for non-members of your site to attend events, but allow your members to register for those same events for free.

No Middle-Management Necessary

Events + doesn’t require any third parties to display or manage your event. Other than the brief moment when the viewer visits PayPal to purchase an event ticket (if you opted to do this in event settings), the Events+ plugin keeps the viewer on your website.

For those who want to manage their event more closely, and interact with event attendees, either to send out email newsletters with event updates or special attractions, you can browse the guest list by simply visiting the event page in the admin section of your site and clicking on the “Event RSVP’s.” There, you’ll find a fill list of registered guests along with a their Gravatar and a link to their personal profiles.

Events + Is Easy To Use

Perhaps the plugin’s best feature is the ease with which one can create and mange events. In fewer than five minutes, I was able to configure the settings, create a simple event with a great picture, RSVP myself for that event, display the RSVP graphically, and share it through my social media streams.

Craig is a recovering engineer and avid tech writer. His sites OrgSpring.com and OrgSpring.org provide resources and tutorials on how nonprofits and politicians can turn their plain websites into web destinations! When he's not writing he enjoys riding motorcycles and playing guitar - though not at the same time - that's just dangerous.